The Country Dance & Song Society is proud to announce that Ed Stern of Minneapolis, MN, is the 2022 recipient of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award.
![Ed Stern smiling in a flowered hat](https://cdss.org/wp-content/uploads/whats-new/ed-stern-lca.jpeg)
The Country Dance & Song Society is proud to announce that Ed Stern of Minneapolis, MN, is the 2022 recipient of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award.
Mark Gilston presents “How to Make Love,” a set of tongue-in-cheek instructions for young men wishing to court. The necessary ingredients include hairstyling lard, a harmonica, gold tooth, red bow tie, and ten cents’ worth of drugstore perfume.
Over 1500 of contra musician Bob McQuillen’s tunes are now available on the Apple App Store. Check out Bob McQuillen Curated Tune Lists to narrow down the tunes and find some new favorites!
The Summer 2023 CDSS News is now available! See contra dancing through the eyes of a young person; learn to shoot good dance videos with Don Bell; dance the New Jersey Commute with Alex Laursen; and much more.
The slideshows, video, and transcript from our May 2023 Web Chat are now available. CDSS Executive Director Katy German joined Jenny Beer, Dana Dwinell-Yardley, Sue Songer, and Kathy Story for a conversation about working through conflict as a community.
Lea Coryell presents “The Lazy Farmer (Young Man Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn).” Lea writes: “Did the young man fail because of laziness or bad weather? Traditional verses offer conflicting reasons, so perhaps we were meant to wonder. In my shortened version, the farmer has nothing and no one to blame but himself.”
In this episode of From the Mic, Steve Zakon-Anderson shares stories about the people and places that have shaped him as a caller and as a person, as well as some pretty deep thoughts about what this calling thing is all about.
We’re delighted to welcome Countercurrent (Brian Lindsay and Alex Sturbaum) to CDSS for the first episode of our new Pack & Wrap Sessions! Named for the store room where it’s filmed, the Pack & Wrap Sessions is a not-so-often web series featuring very short interviews and concerts with dance musicians. In this episode, Alex and Brian talk about the silly things they always have in their instrument cases and play a set of favorite contra dance tunes.
In this episode of From the Mic, Mary interviews Louise Siddons about her involvement with communities in Michigan and Oklahoma, and across the pond in the UK. We’ll also learn about her work developing and teaching the practice of “positional calling” for social dance, which has recently culminated in a new book, published through CDSS, called Dancing the Whole Dance: Positional Calling for Contra.
Derek Piotr presents “We’re All Jolly Fellows that Follow the Plough,” a rare tale of hard work well rewarded.
The CDSS Educators Task Group presents a new set of Lesson Plans to introduce students to a variety of topics in traditional music and dance. Check out the sample plans, and contribute your own at education@cdss.org.
In episode 12 of From the Mic, Wendy Graham tells Mary, “My only job is to help people have fun. Fun, F-U-N, three letter word. That’s it!” Wendy’s passion for music, song and dance caught fire in 1991 on a Danish-American Exchange (DAE) youth dance tour to Denmark. Today, Wendy leads English and American community folk dances and teaches social couples dance across the country and around the world.
Denise and Stuart Savage present “Reynardine,” an English ballad in which a young woman is led astray by a stranger who may or may not be a tricky fox.
CDSS is an equal opportunity employer. Neither your gender, your religion, your personal life, your skin color, nor indeed any physical attribute makes a difference in our hiring process. If you’re smart and good at what you do, then come as you are. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
We don't have any open positions right now; please check again soon!
In early 1900s England, there was a growth of interest in traditional English country, morris, and sword dances. In 1911, the English Folk Dance Society (EFDS) was founded to preserve and promote these dances. Subsequently, several teachers of these traditions, including Mary Neal, Florence “Florrie” Warren, A. Claud Wright, and Cecil Sharp, came to the US to teach morris and English country dance.
In 1915, aficionados of the dance in Boston established the first US branch of the EFDS with philanthropist Helen Storrow as the president. Branches were also established in Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh. The organization originally focused on performance and demonstration groups, rather than on participatory dance. The Boston branch sponsored summer workshops, and in 1933 Helen Storrow hosted the workshops at her Pine Tree Camp near Plymouth, MA. The name was later changed to Pinewoods.
In 1933, the English Folk Dance and Song Society of America (EFDSSA) was formed, uniting the several regional US branches of the EFDS. A national headquarters was established in New York City, and May Gadd, who had come to the US in 1927 to teach dance, was appointed first national director. The organization’s name was changed to the Country Dance Society in 1949; “and Song” was added in 1967. CDSS began publishing information about dance and song traditions with The Country Dancer in 1940, in time leading to today’s CDSS News.
When Helen Storrow died in 1944, she left Pinewoods Camp to her assistant, Lily Conant, and Lily’s husband, Richard. CDSS continued to sponsor dance camps at Pinewoods, adding more weeks with different focuses, including English, American, early music, and folk music.
In 1975, CDSS added the first Family Week, eventually sponsoring up to four family programs at different facilities. In 1976, the Conant family, CDSS, and other user groups formed an independent organization, Pinewoods Camp, Inc., to own and operate Pinewoods. Since then, CDSS has operated summer programs at Pinewoods and in the Mid-Atlantic, New Hampshire/Maine, and Michigan.
As interest in modern contra, morris, and English country dancing grew starting in the 1970s, CDSS built connections and offered support to local groups, including newer groups on the West Coast. This outreach expanded CDSS membership throughout the US and Canada.
In 1987, the CDSS office moved from New York City to western Massachusetts and established a mail-order store to distribute books and instructional materials, recordings, and ritual dance supplies.
In the early 2000s, the office modernized operations, incorporated non-profit best practices, and began a multi-year initiative to develop new leaders in programs, on staff, and on the board. The first CDSS website was published in 2009, and operations moved online, including newsletters, camp registration, programming, and the CDSS Store. In 2015, CDSS marked its centennial with celebrations in communities throughout the US and Canada, artist residencies in seven communities, and a major capital campaign.
In recent years, the organization has responded to the changing needs of the community, forming task groups to support educators, pilot a regional ambassador project, organize our archives, and share resources on community safety in local communities.
In 2018, CDSS began transitioning from an office-based organization to a remote team with employees across the continent. In 2020, CDSS convened a task group and an external advisory group to address cultural equity issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CDSS offered online workshops and web chats that were an important source of information for individuals and groups. In 2022, CDSS redesigned its website to provide better access to resources and publicize dance activities throughout the US and Canada. In 2023, CDSS adopted a new five-year strategic plan to support generational transitions in member communities and the living traditions that continue to grow and evolve.
Prepared by the CDSS Cultural Equity History Working Group, composed of board and community members. Last updated: August 2024.
Last updated December 4, 2023
In the context of CDSS, cultural equity encompasses the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people have access to the dance, music, and song traditions defined in our mission. This includes the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources, as well as a responsibility to research and share the complete history of the traditions we support.
We are working to empower everyone who wants to participate in these traditions to do so with a full sense of safety and belonging. This includes people who have been historically underrepresented or denied access based on age, body size or type, citizenship status, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, national, regional, or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual or romantic orientation, and socioeconomic status.
This page was created to provide updates on our ongoing efforts to improve equity and remove barriers to access in our organization. This is not a finished story, nor is it one of rapid change. It is a story of deep introspection, steady progress, and work that will continue. We hope you will take the time to read about where we are and how this work is informing our new strategic plan. If you have feedback, suggestions, or questions, you are welcome to email them to katy@cdss.org.
In 2018 our Board and staff adopted a new 5-year Strategic Plan, which included mission, vision, and focus area statements, as well as four core values: stewardship, collaboration, creativity, and inclusivity. In the process of selecting our core values, we discussed a wide range of topics, from the community-based nature of the traditions we love, to the responsibility we hold to keep them healthy and thriving, and the ways in which we can remove barriers for folks who have felt excluded. The new plan went into effect in 2019. We convened Board/staff task groups to support the work and began our 5-year exploration of the way the mission, vision, and values manifest throughout our operations. We were excited and energized about building the future of CDSS with these new goals.
A strong mission and strategic plan can carry an organization a long way, but sometimes the outside world necessitates a reevaluation of our priorities. The past decade of increased social activism came to a close with a contentious U.S. presidential election, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and continuing violence against Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) individuals in the U.S. We have all been affected by these movements. And like many other predominantly white-led organizations, CDSS began reflecting as an organization on systemic racism in our institutions and how it creates misalignment between an institution’s intent and its impact. As people who believe in the positive health and emotional benefits of participatory arts, we knew we needed to do more to address structural barriers that prevent people from participating or feeling comfortable in our spaces.
The killing of George Floyd in May of 2020 felt like a tipping point—a call to action for organizations to interrogate the unexamined structural racism and cultural inequity in our spheres. That summer the CDSS staff and Board had conversations about what more we could do to educate ourselves and how we could work against systemic injustice in the folk arts community. We issued a statement affirming the need for this work within our institutions. We opened up our Community Grants to people doing anti-racism and cultural equity work in their dance, music, and song communities. We listened to community feedback calling on us to recognize and address systemic racism as it manifests in how we operate, to go beyond performative statements and checking boxes, and really commit time and resources to long-term diversity, equity, and inclusion work. And we recognized that we needed more diverse voices and perspectives to help us see the things we could not see. People who benefit from systemic inequity often have the hardest time recognizing it. Inspired by the work of Americans for the Arts, we formed a Cultural Equity Task Group that included members of the staff and Board, whose purpose was to convene a year-long advisory group of diverse individuals to evaluate our organization.
As part of our response to the COVID pandemic and in an attempt to broaden access to our programs, CDSS committed to year-round online programming. The organization’s main programming for the past 50+ years had been in-person camp sessions. These require money, time, and resources to attend, and are often in locations that have limited accessibility for folks with disabilities. We knew this, and yet prior to the pandemic it was hard to imagine conducting community-based programming online. The pandemic revealed a lot about what is possible for the arts online, and what types of programming and training work best in that format. So in 2021 we expanded our regular programming to include free and low-cost online offerings year-round, creating more accessible opportunities for folks everywhere to learn and develop their skills.
Also in early 2021, the Cultural Equity Advisory Group’s year of work began. Unlike a “task group” that has a clearly defined task to accomplish, an “advisory group” is asked to provide insight and advice to the Board and staff. We asked the Cultural Equity Advisory Group to review our operations, our programs, and our outward communications within the framework of our existing mission, and to identify actions we could take to promote the living traditions that are dear to us in anti-oppressive ways. We asked them to help us understand the ways that CDSS has caused harm so we can stop perpetuating that harm. We wanted to make sure that, in our work and play, we carry out our mission of strengthening and supporting communities in a way that builds more equitable relationships.
The advisory group worked independently, with support and information from our Board and staff as requested. As they conducted their review, we continued our efforts to facilitate more training sessions for our staff, Board, and communities, as well as making grant funding available to local groups interested in anti-racism and cultural equity work. In March of 2022, the Cultural Equity Advisory Group wrapped up their work and presented the Board and staff with a write-up of their process, along with a report and recommendations.
We are still learning, and receiving the materials from the Cultural Equity Advisory Group this spring was a significant point along the way. Over the past several months, the Board and staff have been processing and discussing the advisory group’s recommendations. We’ve chosen some concrete steps to enact in the short term, some of which are listed below in the “What’s Coming Next” section. There are also longer-term ideas and possibilities, which we are taking into consideration right now as we begin a new strategic planning process. The work of the advisory group is helping us imagine and consider new perspectives and ideas that both challenge and inspire us. We look forward to deciding which recommendations to pursue to help us move forward in our quest for more equity.
For now, here are some of our key lessons so far:
The literal reading of our mission statement matters. Right now our mission statement implies that we do more than we actually do. We can craft a mission statement that more closely reflects the activities of our organization and the communities we serve, rather than implying that we are serving every dance and music tradition in North America.
Our connection to local communities matters. We cannot create a more equitable future alone. We’re continuing to learn as an organization—through our work, from the example of others who are already making changes, and from organizations who have been doing this work all along. As we learn, we have a responsibility to make information, resources, programming, and support available for organizers doing cultural equity work in their local communities.
The story we tell matters. We need to interrogate our organization’s history, not to erase, but to expand the narrative, acknowledging past harm and omissions, such as the impact on indigenous populations as this land was colonized and the erasure of Black and Indigenous contributions to folk traditions born on this continent. We need to set our story in the broader context of all participatory folk art traditions on the continent.
Intention in programming matters. Though CDSS draws on the expertise of independent dance, music, and song leaders to create our programming, we are ultimately responsible for what is presented in our programs. We have a responsibility to provide guidance, support, and resources so that we can work together with artists and participants to correct harmful narratives and provide appropriate historical context to the materials we share.
Representation matters. We need to do a better job of recognizing and representing the diversity that exists in the CDSS network of communities in the programming we offer and among the writers and contributors with whom we work.
The materials we make available matter. We are continuing to share unexamined historical materials via our store, publications, and resources, some of which perpetuate problematic narratives. We need to review what we are offering, critically evaluate our store items and publications, and provide context and additional information where necessary.
Access to decision-making matters. Service on our Board right now requires a certain amount of privilege, including time, energy, and the means and ability to travel. Our existing practices for bringing new leadership to both the Board and staff are not bringing enough diverse voices to the table. We need to critically analyze the way we are structured and our organizational culture in order to recruit a more diverse Board and staff.
As we turn our attention toward planning the work of 2023, we will continue to intertwine themes of equity and inclusion throughout our conversations. But we don’t need to wait until 2023 to get started. Listed below are some concrete steps we are taking in this second half of 2022.
Follow up with recipients of CDSS grants for cultural equity training, to better understand their experiences and learn how best to support other groups interested in this work
Host a Web Chat for organizers featuring these grant recipients (watch the video recording and find other resources from this Web Chat here)
Establish a recurring section of the quarterly Affiliate eNews for cultural equity content
Schedule an open Zoom meeting for membership to discuss cultural equity work and CDSS (watch the video recording here)
Post a content warning on our online store to notify folks that the store contains unreviewed materials and develop a plan to review them
Publish content in the CDSS News from BIPOC authors
Increase usage of BIPOC-owned printers, designers, and mailing houses, or businesses owned by people with other marginalized identities
Practice equitable meeting facilitation models to ensure every Board/staff member is heard during meetings
Identify training resources and opportunities for the Board and staff on equitable fundraising models
Explore building a more accessible and inclusive base of support for the organization
Identify strategies for improving the experience of new staff and campers, particularly BIPOC staff and campers
Designate one camp session to pilot a sliding scale tuition model in 2023
Clarify the purpose of our scholarship program, improve and simplify the application process, and ensure that the distribution of funds aligns with the stated goals of the program
We think it’s important, too, to acknowledge that this has been challenging work. Like many groups, the board and staff of CDSS desire to be unified. But we are 33 different individuals with different background and perspectives. We do not agree on all things or always see eye-to-eye, and disagreement is uncomfortable. We understand, too, that disagreement, conflict, and discomfort are not inherently bad things, that they can lead to deep understanding and good pathways forward.
If you have any questions, feedback, or ideas about CDSS and equity, please send them to Executive Director Katy German (katy@cdss.org) or Board President David Smukler (dsmukler@verizon.net). In the meantime, we hope you are finding opportunities to fill your soul with dance, music, and song!
Our geographically diverse board is listed below. Correspondence for them may be sent to office@cdss.org. Click each board member’s name or photo to learn more about their involvement with the community.
Easthampton, MA
2027
Brooklyn, NY
2027
Concord, MA
2026
The Plains, VA
2027
Wooster, OH
2025
Ridgefield, WA
2025
Norman, OK
2027
Richardson, TX
2026
Stonecrest, GA
2025
Santa Rosa, CA
2025
Richmond, VT
2026
Seattle, WA
2026
Asheville, NC
2025
Nashville, TN
2025
* = CDSS staff member
** = community (non-board) member
Phone: | 413-203-5467 |
Address: | 116 Pleasant St., Suite 334 Easthampton, MA 01027-2784 Map & Directions |
General Email: | admin@cdss.org |
Most weeks, our office and store are staffed Monday–Friday, 9:30–5:00. Please call before traveling: 413-203-5467.
Enter through the “marquee” entrance in the middle of the building. (There is a huge vertical Eastworks sign and a smaller black and white marquee sign above the door.) Take the elevator (immediately to the left) or the stairs (immediately to the right) up to the third floor. Turn right down the first hallway, and #334 will be on your right, a few doors down.
From I-91 North, take Exit 17B (Easthampton). Follow Route 141 to Easthampton; at the foot of the mountain, turn right onto East St., and go approx. 2-3/10 miles. Turn left onto Ferry St., and follow to the end. Turn left onto Pleasant St., and go approx. 3/10 of a mile and turn left into the Eastworks parking lot.
From I-91 South, take Exit 18 and turn right at the bottom of the ramp. Follow Route 5 for 6/10 miles and turn right onto East St. Continue for 1-4/10 miles and bear right onto Ferry St. Continue 9/10 miles to a “T” intersection and turn left onto Pleasant St. Go 3/10 miles and turn left into the Eastworks parking lot.
We are delighted to announce that Sharon Green of Oakland, CA, is the 2024 recipient of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award. Sharon is an English country dancer, caller, teacher, choreographer, and tireless promoter of the talents of others.
She has been an integral and joyful part of the New York and San Francisco Bay Area dance communities in which she has lived (and danced). Most recently, she and Kalia Kliban founded the Odd Sundays Zoom dance, connecting dancers from everywhere and keeping the spirit of the dance alive during pandemic isolation.
Read more about Sharon in the December 2023 issue of the CDSS News!
Sharon was honored with an award celebration in April 2024.
If the answer is “yes” to all of these, then you may know a future recipient of the CDSS Lifetime Contribution Award.
Nominations for the Lifetime Contribution Award are currently closed. The 2025 award will be announced later this year. Nominations for the 2026 award will open in early 2025.
If you would like to nominate someone who has recently passed away, please use this form for the Posthumous Lifetime Contribution Award. Nominations for the Posthumous LCA are accepted anytime.
The following people were made an Honorary CDSS Member before the origination of the Lifetime Contribution Awards:
CDSS is a network of over
3,000 members
and 260 affiliates
across 56 states and provinces
and 11 countries.